


Elusion

by cVee



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 03:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19804090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cVee/pseuds/cVee
Summary: There are unspoken eight letter words that hang heavily around them but they’ll get there.Harry x Sansa Modern au





	Elusion

**Author's Note:**

> I had a terrible writer's block so I'm trying to get rid of it through this. Sorry if it's crappy.
> 
> Bradley James for Harrold Hardyng ftw

Intensely bright light suddenly pours into the dim bedroom as shafts of golden honeycomb glares at the inhabitant’s sleeping form, rays hissing against closed lids and the heat licking on his face.

  
Harry groaned, turning so his back is to the window and hugging a pillow closer to his face. The blonde further burrows himself into his warm soft sheets.

“Get up.”

  
Harry merely responds with a muffled no, fully intending on going back to sleep.

  
“ ** _Harry_** ,” He could make out the exasperation in Mya’s chiding tone. The housemaid probably had better things to do than trying to rouse him at eight in the morning.

  
He deliberately ignores her, tuning her out as sleep eventually returns to him, dragging out and ebbing into uncon-  
A smack with what seems to be a pillow abruptly jerks him awake, eyes snapping open and sleep evaporating from him faster than it had settled.

  
Craning his head to glare at the sight of Mya Stone standing over his bedside with a pillow in her grasp, he hisses in reply,” What was that for?”

  
Her deep blue eyes were filled with mirth and a smile was etched on her lips,” Good morning, Harry.”

  
“What’s so good about it?” He shot back, stifling back a yawn as post-sleep lethargy finally settles over him, promptly seeping off him. He was not a morning person and utterly detests being woken up early on a weekend.

  
“Well, Robin’s cousin is coming here today,” She beamed, setting about to place the pillow with an intent to fix the bed,” The new addition to the household.”

  
Harry rolls his eyes at this, flopping back to the bed on his back with a sigh. Earlier that week they had been informed that a cousin of Robin’s was coming in Petyr Baelish’s stead. Apparently when Lysa Arryn had died, her will had stated that Petyr Baelish was to be his legal guardian until the boy would turn eighteen in the unlikely event that something were to happen to her. The man had become Lysa’s boyfriend after having become widowed to his late great uncle Jon Arryn. Harry never trusted him and would prefer the least interaction with Petyr Baelish. The man was conniving, mischievous and he was always scheming behind his guise of being friendly and helpful, always finding ways to advance himself in power and status. Harry had no doubts that Petyr would see that legal guardianship as an opportunity to manipulate Robin in order to weasel himself into The Eyrie, one of the largest professional firms in the world which had been owns by the late Jon Arryn, that had been thriving in the Arryn dynasty for generations, and which would eventually be inherited by Robin. However, as the boy was still six years old and still needs much grooming to be a proper heir, the company was entrusted to Harry, who had also been primed to be the “spare” should anything happen to Robin since the boy had always been sickly and frail which some of the directors had whispered about how the boy would eventually not be good enough as a future CEO for a multinational company.

  
_Not that I’m that “good enough” either_ , Harry had mentally scoffed.

“Harry? Any chance you’d be getting up before the year ends?” Mya sarcastically said.

  
“Where’s my coffee?” Harry grumbles.

  
“Downstairs. In the kitchen,” Mya replies with a feigned innocent smile.

  
“Witch,” Harry frowns.” Why are you even here? Old nan or Colemon are usually the ones waking me up and bringing my breakfast.”

  
“Breakfast should be downstairs too,” Mya answers,” They’re busy preparing for Ms. Stark.”

Harry groans. This ‘Ms. Stark’ was disrupting this household more than she should.

* * *

The Arryn manor was a Georgian style mansion said to have been built around the middle of the 17th century and was situated on a hill, overlooking Vale. Its walls were made of fine white stone, growing out of the manicured lawn. A paved driveway swept around an elaborate looking fountain with a statue of a falcon perching on top of it in front. Every inch of it screamed expensively built, inside and out with its wide windows and oversized balcony.

“Good morning, Ms. Stark,” An aged butler with a rather long skinny neck had greets her as soon as she parks her grey Camaro in the driveway.

Sansa smiles,” Good morning…”

  
“I’m Colemon, the butler,” With a polished gesture to the large double doors, he continues,” If you would, Ms. Stark, please follow me. We’ve been expecting you. Lunch would be served in a few minutes.”

She politely nods and utters a ‘thank you’ when Colemon carries her luggage for her as they enter the mansion.

They had walked into a large hall where an ornate spiral staircase was situated when Colemon had turns back to tell her that he would be bringing her luggage to her assigned room and she can proceed to the dining room where everyone was supposed to be, expecting her arrival.

  
“Just go straight from here on and you’ll see the dining room,” He reassures her before ascending up the flight of stairs to deposit her luggage to her new room.

  
After striding through the halls, she comes upon a room with crisp shimmering golden wallpaper and a long mahogany table dominating the area. There were three people in the room- a girl with short jet black hair, a guy with sandy blonde hair and another with a mat of nappy grey hair. They were yet to take notice of her presence by the threshold. The plate of lemon cakes the girl just placed on the table promptly catches her attention before the blonde reaches a hand to grab one when the girl smacks said hand.

“Myaaa…”

  
“No. Not before Ms. Stark,” She responds with a pointed look thrown his way,” I heard that lemon cakes were her favorite.”

  
“I don’t get all this fuss about Little Prick’s lapdog.”

  
“Harry!” The girl chides with a withering glare.  
It was the gray haired guy who first takes notice of her who sharply nudges the blonde to get his attention, making him abruptly turn, faintly blanching when his deep blue eyes settle over the sight of her.

  
She simply smiles perfunctory before excusing herself to go to her assigned room. The uncertainty pertaining the direction to said room was the least of her concern at that moment, figuring she would eventually bump into Colemon and she could ask him about it.  
She doesn’t go out for lunch that day, claiming she was feeling weary and unwell after the travel from King’s Landing to Vale. Her courtly lessons and upbringing would deem her action to be rude and impertinent but she had been embarrassed enough that day. To avoid further discourtesy, she does go out for dinner that evening.

  
Robin’s face all but lit up when he saw her, running towards her for a hug with an exuberant “Sansa!”

  
She promptly wraps her arms around her young cousin with an unfeigned smile. She had known the boy since he was a baby and Sansa was twenty. Aunt Lysa had called the boy their miracle child- finally, a successful birth after seven miscarriages. Jon Arryn had many ambitions for the child, Lysa had coddled and overly pampered him and with both parent gone, young Robin was but a spoilt and whiny kid prone to bouts of tantrum without any parent figure left to steer him towards the right direction (not that Aunt Lysa was doing it well). Catelyn Stark had always shown her disapproval in Lysa’s way of raising the Arryn heir, making no effort to school him about the right things at his age, merely overindulging the boy. Sansa’s visits hadn’t been as consistent after her mother had passed away and she had to immerse herself more into college and preparing for her future. It was only after she got a job under Petyr Baelish that she had gotten to see more of her Aunt Lysa and Robin whenever they would be visiting King’s Landing, oftentimes meeting up for tea with Mr. Baelish wherein he would bring her along, claiming it would be a good time to bond with her Aunt and cousin after a long time of not seeing them. Apparently, the man had been a childhood friend of her mother and her siblings but it was only Aunt Lysa that maintained the communication after all these years.

“Look at you, you’ve grown so much now,” She smiles, patting the boy on the head.

  
He beams back at Sansa, tugging her towards the dinner table as he rambles about his new toys and how hates the new school they enrolled him to.

  
The blonde jerk was not present, she notices. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t glad for this. She had been expecting to see little of him but seeing as they would be under the same roof from now on then perhaps it won’t be that easy.

“Old Nan, where’s Harry?” Robin was the one to voice out the question after clambering up his seat, taking notice of the absence of a certain someone in the dinner table.

  
Old Nan, apparently an elderly woman with her thin greying hair pulled back in a bun and the lines of age etching her visage, had been placing a bowl of soup on the table,” Harrold had just informed us that he’ll be having dinner with some friends of his this evening, young Master.”

Robin frowns then turns to Sansa,” Harry’s my other cousin from dad’s side.”

 _We’ve met,_ Sansa inwardly frowns, _Unfortunately_.

* * *

  
Sansa eventually settles into her life in the Arryn household. By now she had known and somehow gotten acquainted with the staff working there. Colemon was the butler, Old Nan was the cook, Mya was the housemaid and Lothor the groundskeeper. It was the cook who had explained to her how Harrold never liked Petyr Baelish, her boss, regarding the incident. Mya was the one who approached her with an apologetic smile, telling her that Harry can be such a brat sometimes. But it was Lothor who expressed his displeasure at Harry’s rudeness when she had been gallivanting around the garden. He called him ‘Harry the arse’ and even Sansa, with courtly manners drilled and schooled into her, wasn’t able to hold in her laughter at this.

  
She thinks that everyone in the manor was nice… except the blonde jerk, anyway.

  
She sees little of him that week. You would think that with them living under the same roof they were bound to bump into each other eventually… They don’t. Sansa is glad for this, thankful that the place is large enough so their paths don’t always cross and she doesn’t hear anymore from him after her first day there. She’s also grateful for their schedules for the lack of interaction. Sansa works from 7 am to 5 pm. She used to be Mr. Baelish’s financial director/Personal Assistant, Petyr Baelish who owns a large chain of high end pubs and cafes around Westeros. After he’d been named as Robin’s legal guardian through Lysa Arryn’s will, he had asked her to go live with the child in his stead since he still had matters to tend to with his business, also pointing out that the child was her cousin so it would be easier for her. He actually hadn’t want to part with his personal assistant in the first place but had no choice. They won’t accept anyone but Sansa Stark to be his "substitute". When she had accepted, Baelish had promptly relocated her to a branch in Vale but had to keep constant communication with Baelish as his financial director. They don’t even see each other at dinner between Sansa having to work overtime once or twice and Harrold having to stay over at The Eyrie past 6 pm a few times.

“Is this seat taken?”

  
Sansa looks up from her laptop to see a decent-looking dark haired guy with pale blue eyes and a well-kept stubble, seemingly in his early 30’s. She had been looking over that month’s budgetary plans in one of Baelish’s luxurious cafes in Vale, sitting in a corner by the window.  
The place isn’t even halfway packed and there were several seats available. However, it would be rude to decline and lie openly, perhaps it was his usual spot and she had taken it unknowingly.

“No, not at all,” Had been her polite reply before the guy took the seat across her.

  
It was a few minutes later that Sansa realizes that the guy apparently has other intentions. She wasn’t dense to be unaware of the guy trying to hit on her. He had even introduced himself as ‘Ramsay’. It had been tolerable at first in which she could would merely give tight smiles and brief answers, hoping Ramsay would take a hint and would eventually leave her alone.

Unfortunately, Ramsay was relentless and eventually reaching to the point of being pushy.  
He was trying to ask her out. Sansa finally puts her foot down on this and politely declines.  
Unfortunately, he remains persistent, try to persuade her despite the look of discomfort on her face.

  
“Come on, you clearly look like you’re asking to have some good time with a man like me,” He smirks, gesturing at the low cut blouse she was wearing.

  
This tipped her off and she was about to slap the guy in the face when he brusquely grabbed her hand which was on the table.

  
“Babe, I’m so sorry for being late,” Is the first thing she hears before she sees Harrold hurriedly taking the seat next to her with an apologetic smile. Placing his arm on her shoulder which she gave a side-glance, he gives her a half-hug while he takes the opportunity to surreptitiously whisper in her ear.

  
_“I’m trying to get rid of this guy so just go along with it_ ,” Then he adds before she can even register his next words,” _Also, I’m gonna give you a kiss so it gets more convincing since he doesn’t look like he believes us.”_

  
She was about to splutter out a reply which would eventually ruin their farce when Harrold gives her a quick kiss at the side of her lips.  
Harrold then pretends to just take notice of the guy,” Oh, is this guy bothering you?”

“Uh no, h-he- he was just-“

  
“-Leaving,” Harrold cuts in, with a certain glint in his eyes as he gives Ramsay a piercing look.  
Ramsay merely glares at him before wordlessly walking away and leaving the café.

  
When they were certain that guy was gone for good, Sansa finally asks,” What are you doing here?”

  
“You’re welcome,” Harrold sarcastically replies with a lopsided smile, his dimple crinkling.  
She rolls her eyes at this,” Shouldn’t you be at work?”

  
“Good question,” He says,” The coffee machine at home is broken, meaning I don’t have my morning coffee. And now I’m running late and I still need my coffee. So I decided to drop by here on my way to the Eyrie.”

  
“Shouldn’t you be hurrying to work then?” She asks, quirking a brow.

  
“I’m already late so there’s not much point in rushing,” He shrugs casually,” Atleast I’ll enjoy a cup of coffee before Lady W chops off my head.”

  
Sansa couldn’t even help herself from scoffing at this.

  
A reluctant expression crosses Harry’s face momentarily before he opens his mouth,” Sansa, about the incident. I’ve been unforgiveably rude. I apologize.”

  
“How can I forgive someone who was unforgiveably rude, hmmm?”

  
He smiles in unmasked amusement upon hearing her reply.

  
“Well,” Harry stands,” It was a pleasure talking to you, Sansa, but I have to go now.”

  
Before he goes, Sansa calls out to him, prompting him to turn to her.

  
“Thank you.”

  
He smiles in return, nodding before walking out the door.

* * *

  
Mya isn’t sure if she should be groaning in exasperation or smiling in amusement, as she was dusting around things in one of the mansion’s many hallways that fine Sunday morning.

  
_‘They’re at it again.’_

  
Lately, Harry and Sansa had been inclined to arguing with each other or simply disagreeing with whatever the other is saying. It wasn’t really terrible or grave. It was merely bickering and banters about mundane things. It had been amusing for her, especially seeing the usually soft-spoken and composed Sansa get irked by Harry. Just the day before that they had been bickering about what to have for breakfast. Old Nan had made the mistake of asking what they wanted for breakfast. Sansa had wanted French toast and Harry had asked for pancakes. Upon knowing their differing answers, each had been taken to persuading why their choice was better than the other. Old Nan had tried telling them she could prepare both but then the two had been relentless, refusing to give up. In the end, they had waffles for breakfast instead, on Robin’s wishes.

  
Mya took a peek into the living room where Harry had been lounging on the couch and Sansa was standing over him with her hands on her hips, a stern expression on her face.

  
“Did you or did you not eat my lemon cake?” She asks, shooting the blonde a glare,” I thought we settled with labeling our food in the fridge.”

  
Mya cracked a smile at this. If there was anything she knew about Sansa ever since she started living with them is that the girl was practically obsessed with lemon cakes. The girl had put her foot down and started a rule of labeling their food they wanted others to keep away from in their fridge after Harry had “accidentally” consumed the lemon cake she had placed in the fridge.

  
“We didn’t settle that. You merely announced it over dinner,” Is Harry’s casual reply,” Besides, there hadn’t been any label.”

  
She makes out the sight of Sansa showing Harry the empty container of her lemon cake with a label taped on it, practically shoving it in front of Harry.

  
“The words were too small. You should really work on your penmanship, Sansa.”

  
“Harrold…”

  
“Sansa…” Harry mocks, a smile in his tone.

* * *

  
Sansa painstakingly raps on the door.

  
“Go away!” Is Robin’s immediate reply from within his room.

  
“Robin, it’s Sansa,” Sansa gently says,” Please open the door.”

  
Hearing a ‘click’ from the door, she doesn’t waste time and deliberately twists the knob to push it open.

  
“Mya told me what happened,” Sansa softly starts, mindfully walking towards the boy,” Why don’t you wanna attend your school event this Saturday?”

  
“It’s a family day event,” Robin replies, frowning.

From what she knows, the boy had been homeschooled and didn’t take it quite well when he started attending school with other kids.

"Lancel said parents should attend. He said I shouldn’t go because I don’t have a mom and dad. He called me an orphan.”

  
Sansa grimaces,” Well, that’s not nice.”

  
“I wanted to make him fly,” Robin glares at a spot in his bed.” But it’s true, isn’t it?”

  
Before Sansa could reply, Robin continues, tears now falling from his eyes and quickly trailing down his cheeks,” I’m an orphan.”

  
“Sshhh…” She soothes him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in for an embrace,” Lancel was just being mean.”

“I want my mom!”

  
“I know you do, Robin,” She knows all too well the grief of losing parents. Even till now, she still wants her parents back, like Robin. There is simply no “getting over” the loss of loved ones and it doesn’t always get easier for everyone.  
Robin continues bawling, his frail body wracked with sobs and hiccups as Sansa tries to console him with her words and gestures. Eventually the boy lays limp against her, his slow shallow breaths accompanied with the slight rise and fall of his chest indicating that he had finally submitted to slumber.

  
After making sure the boy had fallen asleep and was properly tucked in his bed, she quietly leaves the room, carefully closing the door behind her.

  
“Is he finally calm now?” Harry suddenly asks from behind her, all but making her jump due to him seemingly appearing out of nowhere.  
She gives him a pointed look for intentionally startling her.

  
“He’s asleep now, thankfully.”

  
“He was really throwing one hell of tantrum about this school event.”

  
“I know,” She casts a worried look towards the door to the boy’s bedroom,” But if he does miss this, he’ll be further isolated from the other kids. They already think him strange enough.”

  
“Did he tell you why he didn’t want to go?”

  
“It’s a family day event,” She quietly says, if Harry catches on the tinge of bitterness in her voice then he was quite good at not letting it show,” His classmate called him an orphan and said he shouldn’t attend because he didn’t have parents.”

  
“Children can be cruel, especially to orphans.”

  
At Sansa’ s questioning look, he adds,” I’m an orphan too. Lost my mother to childbirth. And my father died when I was three.”  
Sansa’s expression softens,” I’m sorry.”

  
“I think I might have an idea for the school event,” Harry says, changing the topic with a certain glint in his eyes.

  
Sansa felt something drop in the pit of her stomach at the look on his face,” And what would that be?”

  
“We could attend it in his late parents’ stead.”  
“C’mon Sans, it’s gonna be fun,” He further presses.

  
“Don’t you usually have plans on the weekend?” Sansa was well aware of Harry’s antics and pursuits. It was no great secret that Harrold Hardyng gets around quite a lot, that she had discovered within a few weeks of living in the mansion.

  
“Not until evening.”

* * *

  
Eventually, they ended up attending Robin’s family day event, not that it had been a difficult decision to make on their part. Robin had been delighted when they told him, albeit a bit hesitant at first. He had clung to her when they had arrived at the venue, gripping her hand as they passed some of the kids his age with their respective families. Harry, on the other hand, had enjoyed the attention he received from some of the kids’ elder sisters, single mothers, and even a few bold mothers. After several occurrences of some of Robin’s teachers and some parents mistaking them for his parents, they had been too tired to correct them that- no, they were not his parents. They were his cousins. And no, the two of them weren’t cousins per se. He’s his cousin from his father’s side. And that she’s his cousin from her mother’s. And yes, they were both single.

  
With the games and activities the kids and their parents had to partake in, Sansa couldn’t help but be amused at the round of egg and spoon race she had gone through. Robin was proving to be bad at balancing things. And Harry- she smirked- was really too impatient to be playing a game like that. His face screamed out frustration and ire whenever he dropped an egg. In the end, only Sansa had the patience to actually play the game right.

  
They had been waiting for the next activity when she noticed the sudden sullen expression on Robin’s face, a shadow suddenly passing though his features. Then he was glaring fiercely and she followed where his piercing glare was pointed at when she saw a blonde kid smirking smugly at Robin, eyes staring back at the boy unkindly, provoking.

  
“Oh it’s just the orphan,” Then he turned on his heels and ran to where his parents appeared to be waiting for him.

  
‘A Lannister,’ Sansa had though bitterly.

  
Robin had been mere seconds from pouncing on the boy before Harry had held him back with a hand on his shoulder.

  
“He’s not worth it, kid,” He smiled,” But I have a better idea on how to get him back.”

  
Sansa casted him a wary look when his smile turned into a full-blown smirk, dimple-pressed and mischievous.

  
“We’re gonna win the next game we’re joining.”

Sansa had arched a brow, crossing her arms,” You want to be competitive in a game meant for kids to enjoy and merely have fun?”

“Yes.”

  
“Okay, I’m in.”

  
And that brings her back to her current situation, regarding the black race bands in her hands and then casting a look at an enthusiastic Harry giving Robin a pep talk.

  
“Isn’t it supposed to be a three-legged race?" Sansa asks, dubious inspecting the band,” Why is it a four-legged race now?”

  
Harry takes the band from her hands,” Are you having second thoughts now?”

  
Seeing the look on her face, he smiles,” C’mon Sansa, it’s gonna be fun.”

  
“And those were the words that brought us to our current predicament.”

  
“ ‘ _Predicament’_ ?” Harry chuckles,” It’s gonna get even better when we win.”

  
“If,” Sansa corrects.

  
In the end, they do win the four-legged race. Robin beams so wide his face practically lights up, not wasting the opportunity to poke his tongue at a seething Lancel Lannister. Harry smiles proudly, ruffling the boy’s hair in a painstakingly endearing way. Sansa, on the other hand, laughs- timidly at first and then the laughter reaches her eyes, a pleasant sound coming from within.

  
She blames her sudden joy and mirth when she unconsciously gives Harry a hug moments after knowing of their victory.

  
She quickly pulls back when realization washes over her. Fortunately, Harry thinks nothing much of it and if he does, his expression doesn’t betray him.

  
It is after Robin runs off to one of the food stalls that she hears the familiar voice from behind her.

  
“Miss Stark,” There’s a gentle lilt in his tone,” What a coincidence.”

  
“Willas…”

  
Willas Tyrell looked the same as the day she last saw him, the same kind intelligent eyes, golden flecks in pools of brown, the same smooth unblemished features, the same curly brown locks falling immaculately down his forehead and the same gentle expression in his voice.

  
“It’s been awhile, Mr. Tyrell,” She instantly composes herself, giving him a polite smile. She notices Harry regarding the two of them from the corner of her eyes.

  
“I’m surprised to see you’ve moved to Vale now,” He smiles good-naturedly,” The last time I heard of you, you had been in King’s Landing.”

  
“Are you here with your family, Mr. Tyrell?” Sansa asks, tactfully changing the topic.

  
“Yes. Garlan’s kids were quite adamant on having me for their school’s family day,” He answers then he catches sight of Harry from beside her, finally acknowledging his presence in their conversation,” And is this-?”

  
“No,” Sansa replies immediately, cutting him off despite the courtly etiquettes that had been ingrained into her from a tender age,” This is Harrold Hardyng. We’re just here for a cousin.”

  
And then they had to go through the whole explanation of how they were both Robin’s cousin but both of them weren’t really cousins per se. They then introduce themselves, almost perfunctory.

  
“Would you mind if I borrow Sansa for a while?” Willas asks well-manneredly.

  
“Sure,” He consents,” I have to check on Robin anyway.”

* * *

  
“So a Tyrell, huh?” Harry suddenly asks after they got out of his car, heading to the front door while he had a sleeping Robin in his arms. The boy had been drained in the aftermath of their school event.

  
“Don’t start.”

  
“Isn’t he like a decade older than you though?”

  
“Aren’t you being too nosy though?”

  
“So…” He starts, a smirk gradually tugged on his lips,” Those are your type, huh?”

  
Sansa groans in exasperation,” You’re insufferable.”

* * *

  
“Harry!” There’s a flash of brown before Harry is almost thrown back as the girl jumps into his arms, wrapping her arms around him for a bear hug, the gesture too familiar.

  
“Randa, when did you get back?” Harry pulls back, chuckling at the girl who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

  
“Mmm... yesterday afternoon,” She smiles,” It’s so good to see you again.”

  
Harry is then reminded of her presence there. They were currently at the patio situated in the garden, having been hunched over Robin’s homework that he had deposited on the table, asking for help, before running off to play in the garden at the middle of their bickering over how to go over said homework.

  
“Randa, this is Sansa Stark,” Harry introduces them, an easy smile on his face,” Sansa, Myranda Royce.”

  
The girl was comely, with her wide chocolate brown eyes under languid lashes, her saccharine sweet smile, flowing browns curls that cascaded effortlessly down her shoulders and a face practically cut out right from the pages of a men’s magazine. Her tight-fitting shirt only served to further emphasize and complement her buxom figure.

  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Myranda smiles, flashing a perfect row of pearly white teeth.  
“Likewise,” Sansa returns her smile with one of her own.

  
Eventually Sansa excuses herself as the two immerse themselves in a too familiar conversation, feeling out of place. Quietly, she heads inside, starting towards the kitchen to get a glass of water.

  
“Oh, Myranda’s here,” Mya says, standing over the kitchen sink and gazing through the window over it.

  
“That she is.”

  
“I’m guessing you’ve already met.”

  
“Harry introduced us.”

  
“Harry, of course.”

Sansa arches a brow at the amusement in her tone.

  
“Myranda had been our neighbor until she got a job in the capital. She’s the niece of the company’s vice president. Harry and her are close since he started living here.”

  
“And I’m assuming this “closeness” goes beyond mere friendship and being neighbors?”

  
A smile from Mya was her only answer.

“Typical Harrold Hardyng,” She scoffs, glancing at them from the window over the sink.

* * *

  
There are nights where the phantoms of her pasts swallows her whole as she drowns in the swirl of emotions and insecurities. It’s where her ghosts and demons sink their claws on her, cleaving at her sporadically, sharp pointed talons gleaming in the darkness of her mind. Her blood adorns the walls as she tries to scream for help but no sound comes out and no help ever comes. She feels the familiar sensation of losing herself as she continues to sink.

  
When she finally wakes up her body is bathed in sweat, perspiration trickling down her disheveled hair down to the side of her face, her sheets tangled around her limbs in her bouts of thrashing in her sleep. She’s panting, breathing heavily with the violent rise and fall of her chest.  
Dangling her feet at the side of her bed, she toys with the idea of going downstairs for a glass of water, feeling the dryness in her throat. It was with that in mind that she finds her feet taking her to the kitchen, softly padding through the hallways.

  
Upon nearing the kitchen threshold, she spots the lights on and someone perched by the kitchen island, the low hanging lights illuminating his weary features. Bleary eyed and with his hair tousled, his gaze was fixed on the laptop in front of him.

  
“Can’t sleep?” He asks when he finally takes notice of her presence, deep blue eyes looking up at her from his laptop screen.

  
“I got thirsty,” She partially lies as she pours herself a glass of water.” How about you? What are you doing up at-“ She glances at the time glaring back at her on the microwave,”- 1 in the morning?”

  
“I was just finishing up,” Harry responds, yawning at the end of his sentence and she couldn’t help but about how it makes him sound younger,” Lady W and Yohn Royce wanted me to go over some reports and proposals.”

  
And it’s in that moment that Sansa realizes that Harrold Hardyng, beneath the childish impulsiveness, the laidback persona, and Lothario reputation, was just a young man who’s being forced to grow up too quickly with responsibilities shoved to him and the duty of having the blood of the Arryns run through his veins.

* * *

  
The vacation home stood stark against the sea of green backdrop of the woodland behind it. The large log cabin that it was were flanked by a few pine trees at its sides. The building casted a homey appeal with wooden exterior, stone chimneys, large glass windows and a wide wooden balcony that traced the entirety of the second landing of the cabin.

  
Apparently, it had been almost a tradition for the Arryns to visit the vacation home in the countryside on long weekends at least once a year when the lake was most tranquil and calm. When they had happened upon a long weekend that month, Robin had whined and pressed for visiting the place. Harry welcomed the idea, all too glad to escape Lady Waynwood and Yohn Royce hounding on him with the company’s board of directors breathing down his neck. Sansa had been skeptical at first but then Robin had given her a teary-eyed look on the verge of another tantrum. Harry had teasingly feigned an accusatory look at her. Petyr Baelish had also been pestering her to return to King’s Landing without a sufficient reason other than him missing his favorite employee (which really sounded creepy and unbecoming on his part) to which she had been successfully evading with excuses that weren’t entirely fabricated. Due to this, the idea of a place where even Baelish’s calls and messages won’t reach sounded appealing. Subsequently, she opted to join their brief vacation in the countryside. Only Old Nan had asked to be left behind back at the mansion.

  
The cool crisp air of the countryside had greeted them upon their arrival. Robin had fallen asleep leaning against her during their trip, prompting Lothor to carry him inside the log cabin. A tall fleshy woman by the name of Maddy, who had introduced herself as the caretaker, had received them.

  
Where the groves of pine had given away was a large lake, a silver blue mirror against the vegetation and mountain that surrounded it. It was where Sansa’s feet had currently lead her to.

  
Harry excitedly dashes past her and she immediately splutters when he starting slipping off his shoes.

  
“W-what are you doing?”

  
Harry merely gives her a look as if she had gone mad before shedding off his blue hoodie,” What does it look like I’m doing?”

  
_Stripping_. “I could do without the sarcasm.”

  
“It seems like a good time for a swim.”

  
Fortunately, he leaves his shorts on, Sansa notes, _totally_ not sparing a glance at his well-defined abdomen, firm chest and limbs hard with muscles.

  
“Do you even know how to swim?” She tersely blurts out without thinking much, quickly trying to restore her unflustered persona with hastily spewed words.

  
“Well,” He replies, sounding completely unconcerned,” I don’t think I do,”

  
“What?” Sansa raises her voice without meaning to, feeling uneasy with the sight of him being so close to the edge.

  
“I drowned when I was kid and ever since then I never cared much for swimming,” He casually replies, watching a ripple from the water’s surface.

  
“Then don’t even care much of getting in the water,” Sansa hastily points out.

  
“Maybe it’s not that deep?”

  
“Harrold…”

  
“Sansa…”

  
“Don’t-“

  
Before Sansa could even get the chance to finish her sentence Harry jumps into the lake.  
She waits for him to come back up, thinking of how gullible she might sound and perhaps Harry was merely jesting. She doesn’t even see his head bob up from the water. She starts panicking as she desperately tries calling his name, never getting any response. Hurriedly, without any bit of second thoughts, Sansa dives into the lake.

  
Flailing and clawing through the waters that surrounded her, nevermind that sprays of it were getting to her eyes, anxiously trying to find for any sign of Harry.

  
“Hardyng!” She tries to yell despite the bouts of water threatening to get into her mouth, blue gaze darting on the surface of the water,” Hardyng, don’t die on me.”

  
That’s when she suddenly feels something pull at her leg, making her shriek, before Harry’s head to his shoulders surfaces from the water.  
He was consumed in his fits of laughter,” I can’t believe you thought I couldn’t swim!”

  
Her expression distorting into a scowl, she glares frighteningly at him, angrily splashing water to his face,” You- You asshole!”

  
Harry’s face practically lights up in utter glee,” She swears!”

  
“And apparently she’s also pissed at you,” She heatedly retorts before making a move to get out of the water, in the process of clambering out of the lake to dry land.

  
All of a sudden she feels firm arms wrapping around her midriff before getting dragged back to the water, prompting her to shriek out and thrash.

  
“Let go of me, you barbarian!”

  
“Ouch,” He feigns, fighting back a grin as he lets go of her,” You wound me, Sansa.”

  
“And you’re insufferable!”

  
“C’mon Sans,” He grins, splashing around her,” It’s gonna be fun. Loosen up, why don’t you?”

  
She spends most of her time in the water trying to drown him which was really a futile goal on her part as Harry was bigger and faster than her. Harry merely accords this with a spray of water to her face while he guffaws at her attempts, emphasizing his deep blue eyes with laughter in them and creasing his dimple.

  
When it’s their last night at the log cabin, Sansa finds herself seated at the front porch after a fulfilling dinner of pot roast and mashed potatoes with cheddar and chives that Mya and Maddy had prepared. The evening lull had enveloped the place. Under the moonlight, the woods laid still with trees standing as black silhouettes, shadows now longer against the pale glow the moon casted. The crickets continued their ballad as stars twinkled brilliantly in the night sky.

She feels more than hear someone approach from behind her before a bottle of beer is placed on the table in front of her as Harry sits on the chair next to her.

  
“I shouldn’t.”

  
He nurses his own drink before speaking as if he didn’t hear her previous statement,” How about we play a game?”

  
“How about no?”

  
“It’s gonna be fun.”

  
Sansa rolls her eyes and groans at the familiar statement.

  
“It’s like Never have I ever with a twist. I try to say a statement from your past and if I’m right you drink and if I’m wrong I’ll drink and vice versa. ”

  
Eyeing him warily, she responds,” What are you scheming now?”

  
“Oh c’mon, what is so wrong about getting more acquainted through a drinking game?”

  
She sighs, knowing she’s going to regret her next words,” Okay, fine.”

  
He beams, his deep blue eyes practically light up,” Okay, I’ll go first.”

  
He gives her an impish look,” Never have I ever fallen in love with someone a decade older than me.”

  
She groans,” You were just waiting to pop that question, weren’t you?”

  
He chuckles,” Drink up, Sansa.”

  
She mutters ‘cheat’ before obliging. The drink smoothly goes down her throat, leaving a bitter aftertaste on her tongue.

  
“My turn,” She says pointedly,” Never have I ever had a friends with benefits relationship with my neighbor.”

  
Harry gapes at her,” How did you-“

  
“Drink.”

  
After drinking from his own bottle of beer, he throws her a suspicious look,” Mya told you.”  
Shrugging, she replies,” Also, it wasn’t hard to guess. What, with the way Myranda was eyeing you.”

  
“Okay,” He looks thoughtful for a moment before a smirk creeps up on his features,” Never have I ever wanted to punch my boss in the face.”

  
“Harrold…”

  
“Sansa…” He mocks.” Drink.”

  
She does.

  
“How would you-?”

  
“I mean I would too if Little prick was my boss.”

“Fair enough,” She shrugs. “Never have I ever made a girl cry.”

  
He gives her a look before taking a gulp from his drink.” Now, you’re just cheating.”

  
“I’m not. You’re just not complex as you think you are.” She gives him a cheeky grin.

  
“Oh, stop trying to be cute.”

  
She doesn’t know if it’s the alcohol or her getting accustomed to the guy but she quips back,” I can’t help it.”

  
He guffaws, the sound not unpleasant to her ears.

  
“Never have I ever had a pet poodle,” He tries.

Sansa merely raises a brow at this,” Really?”

“What?”

  
“I had a northern Inuit dog named Lady.”

  
“Oh, dammit,” He mutters before taking a drink.

  
“So what happened to her?” He asks.

  
“They had to put her down after she attacked my ex-boyfriend,” A glum expression momentarily takes over her features before mustered to replace it with a neutral expression.

“Did she really?” The sudden look didn’t escape Harry.

  
“Did she really what?”

  
“Attack your boyfriend.”

  
“No, but his mother wouldn’t hear reason. She planned on suing for it.”

  
“I’m sorry,” Sensing her discomfort, he continues,” Your turn.”

They’re halfway through their second bottle of beer when they eventually abandon their drinking game and fall into a normal conversation, words trickling and spilling out from their mouths with ease, as the serene sounds of the woodland and the cricket drone in the background.

  
“So again, if you’ve been living with the Arryns since you were 16, why have I never seen you or heard of you whenever we visited?” She clarifies, mirth evident in her voice and in her brilliant blue eyes.

  
“Because your Aunt Lysa simply hated me,” He answers, appearing entirely unbothered with this,” As I said, when my parents died Lady W, who’s my father’s sister, took me in until I was sixteen. I moved into the Arryn manor since I was Jon Arryn’s closest kin through my mother who’s his niece. Apparently, Jon Arryn’s brother died before producing children of his own then his sister, my grandmother, had my uncle who went on to become a priest and my mom. With that, Lysa thought I was just there to take Robin’s inheritance from him. She believes I was just waiting for him to die so I could inherit everything that comes with the Arryn name.”

  
“And why have I never seen you before?”

“I got an internship at The Eyrie when I was in highschool so I was rarely home and when I’m not at work, I’m usually out with friends.”

“Sooo… technically, you’re not Robin’s cousin. His dad’s your great uncle.”

“Technically no,” He replies, tipping back his drink,” But it’s complicated and too bothersome to explain to people.”

  
“Also,” He adds,” You might not have seen me before but I know you.”

  
“Oh really?”

  
“Well, your family, at least. I mean, who wouldn’t. The Starks were a proud family-“

  
“Until the incident?”

  
“You don’t have to-“

  
Sansa chuckles bitterly, gulping down her beer,” Everyone calls in that. “The incident”. Always sugarcoating it. But everyone knows what it is, it’s a scandal.”

She drinks too much from her bottle that Harry starts to worry.” Lyanna Stark, Aunt Lyanna, had an affair with a married man. Not just any married man. Rhaegar Targaryen, the son of one of Westeros’s most powerful senator and the husband of Dorne’s ambassadress to whom he had two kids with. It was the scandal of the year. No one wanted to let us live it down. The proud family of Starks, one of the founding families of Westeros, known for their honor was not honorable after all.”

  
“I thought the media was just exaggerating it when that scandal resurfaced,” Harry quietly spoke.

  
“ ‘Resurfaced’?” She echoes, a thoughtful look on her face,” Ah that. I was too young to remember when Aunt Lyanna ran away with Rhaegar. She got pregnant, you know. But it was stillborn. That haunted her for years to come. While she lost a child and her reputation, Rhaegar went back to his wife and was eventually forgiven and accepted. They had a third child while she lost hers.”

  
“People hated her. Homewrecker, they called. I remember hearing Uncle Ned and Aunt Ashara arguing about her. They never argue but then I remember Aunt Ashara saying that Aunt Lyanna was not entirely blameless for it, that she had been foolish and too desperate at any sign of affection any man will give her way.”  
“It resurfaced a few years later…”

  
“When Aunt Lyanna had proved Aunt Ashara’s words right. Dad and Uncle Ned said that Aunt Lyanna was really broken after losing her child, that because of it she got too reckless, started rebelling for what people whispered behind her back. But I think, Aunt Ashara was right, Aunt Lyanna was foolish, she was probably spoiled as a child, believing she could get whatever she wanted, and when she had to face the real world, she never thought of the consequences of her actions, doing the things she wants regardless of other people. What most people don’t know was that she had been engaged to Robert Baratheon arranged by my grandfather. She hated it. I think she didn’t really hate Robert Baratheon per se, she just hated the fact that she was being forced into it.”

  
“It resurfaced when she had another scandal a few years later. This time with another married man. The man she had rejected, Robert Baratheon. Which lead her to her biggest downfall: Cersei Baratheon. The daughter of one of the most powerful man in Westeros, she made sure to ruin Aunt Lyanna and the Stark name. To make it worse for Aunt Lyanna, Robert left her. He realized that he was just fancying himself to be in love with her, that he just loved the idea of her simply because he couldn’t have her before. And like Rhaegar, Robert returned to his wife. They reconciled and had a son after.”

  
“Everything started falling apart for the Starks then, especially after Dad then Uncle Ned died. Apart from the soiled family reputation, Aunt Lyanna drove the family business to bankruptcy,” She tips back her drink,” I hated Aunt Lyanna and everything she stood out for. She was selfish and immature. I vowed to be nothing like her, not even a bit. And that’s where Willas Tyrell comes in.”

  
“After all the failed relationships, he was like a ray of sunshine standing out amidst the darkness. Kind, intelligent and handsome. I met him at an animal rescue and welfare conference in college. When I discovered he was married, I had already fallen in love with him. We never went past the boundaries of friendship but the feelings were there. I remembered Aunt Lyanna, I got scared and I went away without telling him. When I saw him at that school event, he told me he was divorced,” She recounts, vividly remembering that day,” They never did have a child.”

“Do you want to?” Harry asks, finally finding his voice.

  
“Do I want to what?”

  
“Go back with Willas Tyrell.”

  
“I don’t know.”

“I mean if he makes you happy…” He gives her a small smile,” You deserve that happiness, Sansa.”

* * *

  
_When Willas calls her again, this time she doesn’t decline his offer at a dinner date._

* * *

“Sooo… where’s Sansa?”

  
Robin had been flipping through the channels of the tv in the living room when Harry took a seat next to him in the couch. “She’s out with a friend.”

  
“Friend?”

  
“Yes,” Robin replies, eyes still fixed on the television screen as he changed channels,” Maybe it’s that guy with a bad leg at the school’s family event.”

  
“Really? She told you?”

  
“I don’t know,” Robin shrugs nonchalantly.

  
“I mean…” Harry breathes,” you think so?”

  
“Harry, she just told me she can’t tuck me in tonight since she’ll be out with a friend for dinner. That’s all.”

  
“And you’re okay with this?”

  
“Yes,” Robin replies then looks over him.” Are you?”

  
“What?”

  
“Nothing.”

  
“What was that look for?”

  
“Nothing.”

  
“Mean,” Harry pouts,” I thought I was your favorite cousin.”

  
“Sansa’s my favorite cousin.”

  
“Ouch. So heartless.”

They both have fallen asleep on the couch by the time Sansa gets home, Robin slumped against him while the television rolls on the film credits in front of them. Even the soft click of the door is enough to wake Harry up, which is surprising since he was usually a heavy sleeper.  
She’s wearing a black skater dress with her hair pulled up in a ponytail when she enters the room and takes notice of them.

“Oh,” She breathes,” I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

  
“No,” He assuages,” I was getting uncomfortable.”

  
“You look nice,” He says softly, partially not wanting her to hear him.

  
Fortunately, Robin stirs beside him and wakes up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

  
“Oh,” Robin squints, yawning,” Sansa’s back.”

  
“Why didn’t you tuck him in?” She directs the question to Harry.

  
“He was looking for you,” Harry automatically lies.

  
“No, I wasn’t,” Robin was quick to shoot back.

  
“Yes, you were.”

  
“Sansa,” Harry has a hunch that he wasn’t going to like the next words that spew out of the kid’s mouth,” Harry was looking for you.”

  
“I was not.” _Defensive_

  
“Yes, you were.”

  
“Nu-uh!”

  
“Yu-uh!”

  
“Okay, okay, you two,” Sansa cuts in,” I think we all need to head to bed now.”

  
“Sansa,” Robin starts as they head upstairs,” Can you tuck Harry in too?”

  
“Robin!” Harry looks mortified.

* * *

“The blonde hottie didn’t come by today,” Jeyne Poole states as she deposits her lunch in front of Sansa before taking the seat across her in the breakroom,” … again.”

  
Sansa merely looked up at the brunette from her own lunch. “Who- ah.”

  
“He usually drops by for coffee in the morning or sometimes, come by here for lunch,” She sighs, disappointed.

  
“He’s probably busy these days,” Sansa replies, thinking back on how easily Harry fell into a routine of dropping by in the morning for coffee and sometimes lunch while he would annoy her while he was there, ever since the day he helped her with the creepy guy,” And stop calling him that or at least don’t let him hear you call him that. We don’t need to further stroke his ego.”

  
“But that’s what he is,” She smiled coyly,” He’s hot. Those dimples. And those deep blue eyes.”

  
“He’s annoying,” Sansa dryly shoots back.

  
“He’s charming,” Jeyne sighed dreamily.

  
“Harry drops women like hot potatoes after he’s done with them.”

  
“You’re lucky,” Jeyne says, ignoring her earlier statement,” What’s it like living with him?”

  
“Bothersome.”

  
Jeyne raises a brow at her, disbelieving.

“Really?”  
“Uhuh.”

  
“Seems to me like you’re hell-bent on antagonizing him to evade something else.”

  
“I’m not antagonizing him,” Sansa retorts,” Harry’s impulsive, childish, laidback, but…”

  
“But..?” Jeyne coaxes, hanging on to Sansa’s words when she trailed off.

  
“But he’s kind, he can be gallant and polite and…” Her voice sounds smaller then,” Even when others view him wrong, he can hardworking enough to prove to others that he can be good enough.”

When she’s done she sees the wide smile on Jeyne’s face.

  
She excuses herself before walking out the room.

* * *

  
Sansa’s drunk after another date and had to rely on Willas with his arm around her shoulders and her weight leaned on him so won’t stumble on her feet while walking. It takes much effort for Willas to keep her upright with his bad leg. Harry can’t help but feel disappointed at Sansa’s lack of restraint and unsteadiness as she keeps on insisting that she wasn’t drunk while Willas gives him an apologetic look.

  
“I’ll take it from here,” He carefully pries Sansa off Willas as he supports her frame against his,” Thank you for making sure she gets home.”

  
After exchanging some curt perfunctory words, Willas leaves with a worried glance thrown at Sansa’s way.

  
“Seven hells, Sansa, what got into you?” He mutters.

  
“You said drinking was gonna be fun!” Sansa says with an uncanny giddiness, giggling a bit.

  
“I didn’t say you should get this drunk.”

  
“I’m not drunk,” She slurs, the unsteady sway to her steps betrays her.

  
“Yes, you are,” He says, exasperated, as he makes a move to lift her when she suddenly pulls away from him.

  
“Sansa…”

  
“Harry…” She mocks in a drunk sing-song manner.

  
“You shouldn’t have gotten this drunk.”

  
“I’m not drunk!” She furiously retorts.

  
“Sshhh… Sansa, you’re gonna wake Robin up.”

  
“You keep saying I’m drunk,” She pouts.

  
“And you keep insisting you aren’t,” Harry retorts.” Tyrell shouldn’t have let you get this drunk.”

  
“It’s not his fault.”

  
“He’s not entirely blameless either.”

  
“Stop that!”

  
“Stop what?”

  
“Blaming Willas.”

  
“Sure, sure, Sansa, I’m just gonna blame this on your sudden impulsiveness.”

  
She has the gall to look scandalized amidst her drunk stupor,” I’m not impulsive. You are!”

  
“Ssshhh…” He shushes her again.” Just don’t get this wasted with a guy after a few dates.”

  
She gasps.” Are you insinuating that I’m easy?”  
She glares fiercely at him,” I would rather be drinking with guys like Willas than the likes of you.”

  
“I’m not saying you’re easy,” He retorts, restraining himself from raising his voice,” And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  
“As if you don’t go drinking with girls and sleep with them afterwards.”

  
“I’m not a rapist,” He narrows his eyes,” I don’t sleep with girls who are too drunk to give their consent.”

  
“But you’re trash. And you leave them after getting what they want!”

  
“Sansa, you’re drunk and you’re not thinking straight. Just sleep this off.”

  
“No, I’m not sleeping this off, like how I did when you called me Little Finger’s lapdog.”

  
“Sansa-“

  
“I’m not Little Finger’s lapdog! You’re just an asshole who’ll never be half the man Jon Arryn was.”

  
It felt like something in him broke with those words. All his life for as long as he could remember he was always getting compared to the great Jon Arryn, how he looked like his great uncle in his prime, and how the Arryn blood was stronger in him. Lady Waynwood had raised him with the words ‘As high as honor’ and ‘Always Upright’ but not Hardyng’s ‘When Needed’. She had schooled and drilled into to him the lessons and ways to be the perfect successor. But in the back of his mind he always knew that he was not that, he was just a spare for his cousin’s and his family’s misfortune, and a substitute used until Robin is older. He’s reminded of this when they whisper behind his back, how he’s never going to be as wise as Jon Arryn or as patient and how he was never going to be as good enough.

  
“Sansa,” He gently helps her towards her room, despite the pang in his chest,” Please.”

* * *

  
When Sansa wakes up the next day, there’s an earthquake in her head, drilling through her cranium, her throat aches with dehydration, and regret engulfs her whole. Even with how her stomach lurches with nausea as her vision struggles through the sunlight that filters through her curtains, her first agenda is to look for Harry.  
He doesn’t see him that day or even the next few days. It’s like he just disappears whenever she’s around.

  
“Where’s Harry?” She asks one day as she arrives downstairs for breakfast.

  
Robin looks up at her from his bowl of cereal,” He just left.”

  
She knew he was eluding her and succeeding at it. He leaves before breakfast and when she tried seeking him out earlier, there’s always the possibility that he’s still in bed or haven’t gotten home that night prior. He stays at work overtime or somehow spends nights with “friends”.

  
One morning Mya finds her asleep in the living room couch when she had planning to confront Harry the night prior, waiting for him to get home.

  
“He didn’t get home, y’know,” Mya says, sympathetic blue eyes on her.

  
“Oh.”

  
“But maybe-“

  
“Mya.”

  
“Yes?”

  
“I screwed up, didn’t I?”

  
“Harry can be sensitive.”

  
“I told him he would never be half the man Jon Arryn was.”

  
Mya winces.

  
“I’m horrible,” There’s a stinging sensation in Sansa’s eyes as she feels her throat closing up.

  
“We say things we don’t mean sometimes, Sansa,” Mya attempts to console her with a comforting hand on her arm.

  
Harry doesn’t even answer her calls or replies to her messages.

* * *

  
After the gloom and cloudiness of the previous days, it’s a fairly sunny day when Willas invites her for lunch in a place a few blocks from work. The place is quaint, exuding off a welcoming appeal and what it lacks in size it makes up in its allure. He opens the door for her, like the gentleman he is, before ushering her in.  
Sansa enters just in time to see a familiar face, appearing to be heading out. Her gaze meets that of Harry and for a split second a certain look crosses those deep blue eyes before he looks away, shifting his attention to the girl beside him. He has his arm around a gorgeous, tall, and slender woman with honey blonde hair and brown doe eyes.

  
There’s a certain air to the way he carries himself, stance straight and cool, as he leads his fair company out, passing by her without so much as a glance.

  
Her emotions keep darting between frustration, profound regret, hurt, hollowness, raw bitterness and then exhaustion as the lunch date went on. If she had been her normal self, she would be quite aghast with her behavior, especially with Willas around. She had been worrying over her actions and him over the past few days and when they finally see each other he barely even acknowledges her presence, as if she was that insignificant, as if he didn’t even know her, as if- No, she defiantly tells herself as the emotions flare in her, it’s gonna be okay. Harry will eventually come around, that’s what Mya told her and what she tries to tell herself whenever she sees the empty chair at breakfast or dinner.  
Apparently, she’s not as good as masking her emotions than she thought she was because Willas sees the battle raging in front of her, sees it in her muted crestfallen gaze and the disheartened line of her lips.

  
“I’m sorry…” Willas’s voice pulls her out of her bout of self-pity,” I thought we could continue where we left off. I thought everything would be okay, as if the past four years didn’t happen.”

  
“Willas, wha-“

“It’s okay, Sansa, I understand,” Willas smiles, eyes speaking of tender acceptance and awareness.

* * *

  
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you can’t go in there without an appointment,” The voluptuous woman, who’s apparently Harry’s secretary, tries to stop her, attempting to keep up with her long strides.

But Sansa ignores her protests, determination and the plethora of emotions raging within her drives her to making her way to Harry’s office, flinging the door open without hesitation.  
Harry immediately looks up from the stack of paper he had been scrutinizing, steely blue eyes meeting hers.

  
“I’m so sorry, sir, but she persisted to barge in here,” His secretary hastily says, flustered.

  
“It’s okay, Cissy, I’ll take it from here,” Harry gives the woman a small smile before dismissing her.

  
“You’re ignoring me,” Is the first thing Sansa says.

  
“What a keen observation, Ms. Stark,” Harry replies sardonically.

  
“I’m sorry, Harry,” There’s a stinging sensation in the corner of her eyes as she tries to blink back the impending tears, the weight in her chest tugging heavier. “I never meant to-“

  
“Make me feel insignificant?” Harry cuts her off, voice hard and gaze unwavering.

  
He was withdrawing from her, she notices this and hastily blurts out,” I was scared. I was hell-bent on antagonizing you because I was scared.”

  
“…”

  
“Ever since my family’s downfall, everyone had been leaving me. And then you were there,” Her voice breaks,” You were constantly there. I didn’t want to get my hopes up. You…”

  
Between her words and her voice breaking, she’s unaware that tears are already furiously falling from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks as a sob slipped from her lips. Her knees weaken as she tries to walk closer to him, buckling from under her, and she can’t help but think she’s probably looking pathetic now.

“Seven hells, Sansa,” Harry is now crouched in front of her, his voice alarmed and concerned,” Don’t cry.”

  
He feels his arms around her as he pulls her to him.

  
“ You were ignoring me and- and-“ She cries against his chest, tears drenching his shirt,” You were with someone… ignoring me… And- and- you hated me.”

  
“Sshhh… I didn’t hate you. I was just frustrated.”

When her tears have eventually subsided, her sobs rendered to quiet sniffles, Harry speaks with her still in his arms.

  
“Were you jealous?” Amusement tinges his tone.  
She glares defiantly at him.

  
He chuckles.” But you and Willas-“

  
She cuts him off with a kiss, igniting a sensation in her as if she’d been waiting for this.  
She pulls back but Harry presses his lips against her, giving her a deeper open-mouthed kiss, hot, fiery, and passionate as if he was desperately drinking her up. It’s longer than the last one and they only break off for air.

  
There are unspoken eight letter words that hang heavily around them but they’ll get there.

**Author's Note:**

> This fandom needs more Harry x Sansa fanfics.  
> Also, I wanna believe that Harrold Hardyng is not a complete asshole that will cheat and leave Sansa behind


End file.
